Computer networks are prevalent among many enterprises and organizations to facilitate communication and resource-sharing among a wide range of users. As an example, computer networks may be used to facilitate communication via email, video conferencing, instant messaging, or the like; to enable multiple users to share a single hardware device like a printer, scanner, or the like; to enable file sharing across the network, allow for the sharing of software or operating programs on remote systems, make information easier to access and maintain among network users, or the like.
A virtual network is a computer network that consists, at least in part, of virtual network connections between two or more computing devices. A virtual network may be implemented using methods of network virtualization, such as protocol-based virtual networks (e.g. Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)), based on virtual devices (such as the networks connecting virtual machines inside a hypervisor), a conjunction thereof, or the like.
One form of virtual network may be VLAN. VLANs are logical local area networks that perform based on physical LANs. A VLAN can be created by partitioning a physical LAN into multiple logical LANs using a VLAN ID. Alternatively, several physical LANs can function as a single logical LAN. The partitioned network can be on a single router, or multiple VLANs can be on multiple routers just as multiple physical LANs would be. The VLAN requires a dedicated device for managing the VLAN itself and complex configurations thereof.